


Dean Winchester X Reader

by waywardkline



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Reader-Insert, Secret Crush, Shy Dean Winchester, Soft Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-10-04 14:04:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17305976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardkline/pseuds/waywardkline
Summary: A hunter that Sam and Dean have known for a while, appears in Kansas for a case. But Dean has had a thing for her since the day they met.





	1. Chapter 1

It’s another dull night in Kanas, so you head to the liveliest place you can think of. The bar. Strangers swirling their straws in their fruity cocktails, sipping on the rocks and making out on their barstools. Your leads have run pretty dry since you got here but there was this strong compelling feeling in your gut that was telling you to stay put. The motel you’d crashed at the night before was dark and dingy and you were craving that thump of classic rock that vibrated through your bones. So, Louisa’s it is.

It was the nearest bar to you and actually one of your favourites to visit whenever you were Kansas, which intentionally wasn’t that often. The barmaid spun to face you, as you instinctively began checking her out. That, however, was unintentional. Not that it seemed to phase her that much, she barley noticed or if she did it didn’t seem to be an issue. A weak smile crossed your face as you played it off and she repeated whatever words your mind chose not to process.

”What can I get you, sweetheart?” Her smile was subtle but very luring, her raven black hair cascaded just before her hip. You noticed her vintage Led Zepplin shirt and smirked to yourself slightly. Your eyes glanced down at the bottom of the empty drink in front of you, as you shook the half melted ice around the glass and grinned. 

“JD and your number?” Hey, you were out, you were at a bar. She was attractive. There’s nothing wrong with trying your luck. Her eyes rolled back faintly, as she began pouring your drink while shooting you a look.

“Sorry darlin’, I don’t swing that way“ The smirk on your face grew wider, as she pulled away the bottle and placed it back on the glass shelf behind her. A small chuckle escaped your lips, as she caught your stare and you flashed a toothy grin.

“Hmm that’s what they all say” You hummed, with a wide smile, nursing your bevvy without breaking eye contact. She struggled in brushing it off, the sides of her pretty pink mouth curling into a smile. You wouldn’t pry anymore, you could understand. Hell, how couldn’t you. You’re a woman. I’m sure deep down she was at least a little flattered, that for once she wasn’t being hit on by some sleazy redneck biker dude.

As you went to down your freshly poured drink, you paused for a second, holding the glass in mid air. Your nose hovered over the edge of the glass, as you sniffed it and quickly had a realisation. Mere seconds after, you glanced over the counter at the maid through your eyelashes.

“What’s the matter? Not gonna drink your whiskey?” She questioned sweetly, eyes flashing black as your suspicion was immediately confirmed. Almost by instinct, you ducked from an attacker behind you and was met with villianious hisses. In a swift movement, you reached inside your jacket pockets and slipped on your demon-fighting knuckle dusters. Swinging with a right hook and landing a hefty punch on his jaw.

“ _Now_  I get why you wouldn’t give me your number!” She didn’t seem overly amused by your joke, evident by her crawling hastily over the counter. You jumped backwards and chuckled, she was almost in arms reach, clawing in close proximity of your face. Her feet stuck to the floor of the bar (And not just because of the day old beer.) It was the devil’s trap you’d painted under the carpet earlier. Better safe than sorry. You had no time to consider celebrating your victory, as you were surrounded by a pack of hell raisers.

Before you could even fathom the situation, your thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash. Closely followed by a demon flying across the room and landing at your feet. A laugh left your mouth, a mischievous grin erupting on your face. The demon’s attention averted back to you, whilst your hands grasped onto the arms of the unconscious vessel. When you have no defence system, get creative? The body slammed to the ground, knocking demons down like a set of bowling pins. One of the attackers went to jab your stomach, as a blade ripped straight through their chest and you were stunned by the dying light. As he fell to the ground, your hero was revealed. You both looked up at each other as you titled your head.

“Y/N?” He questioned in his raspy voice, you noticed a demon attempt to sneak up behind him as you pulled the blade from his hand and spun around before swiftly stabbing him in the neck. A smile passed your lips, as you lurked next to him.

“Dean?” You answered back, dodging a hit from one of the enemies. You kneed him in the crotch before he clutched his stomach and you stabbed him in the back. His deep green eyes were wide and in a state of shock, as you pulled out the blade. “Where’s your brother?” Your mannerisms were pretty nonchalant, catching him off guard. Not long after, you heard someone rough housing and turned to see Sam quite literally fighting his demons. The blade left your hand and flew into the enemy, causing him to glitch with a bright light and shock Sam.

“Y/N?” He called, a similar tone to Dean as you grinned and waved over at him happily.

“Hey Sammy!” You replied, before wandering towards the barmaid with your hands attached to your hips. Her eyes scanned you up and down, as you stared at the ground and giggled to yourself. “Listen, maybe if you gave me your number, this could of worked out.” You suggested, shrugging your shoulders a little as she chuckled darkly.

“You’re not my type” She hissed spitting venom with her words as you widened your eyes and laughed, you flipped your blade as if it was a microphone and glanced over at her. You let out a deep sigh, almost saddened that it had to come to this.

“You know we could of been something special” You admitted, before jabbing it straight through her chest and watching her fall to the ground. As you reached down you pulled the blade handle from her body, tossing it over to Dean who caught it with one hand. He exchanged glances with his brother, both their jaws dropped open. You grinned and stepped over the bodies, pushing the shorter ones mouth closed and patting his shoulder. “See you boys round’” You saluted, pecking Sam on the cheek and patting his back before wandering out into the street.

—

“Y/N...? Who is she?” The boys were back at the bunker, Sam was sat with Castiel at the table in the map room filling him in on the previous hunt. Cas’ lips pursed as he narrowed his eyebrows and shot Sam a questioning look, a small giggle escaped his lips as he glanced back at Castiel.

“She’s a Hunter. But Dean’s had a big time crush on her since a while back” He admitted, chuckling at the thought of Dean around her. It happened every time she was around, he’d go from this big macho guy who was hard as nails to this cute soft teddy bear. Right on cue, Dean entered the room with a child like grin plastered on his face.

“Hey guys I just found a box of mulled wine in the back of a men of letters cupboard, who says we get on some golden girls and have a classy night in?” Sam shook his head, still in a state of laughter as Dean’s smile dropped and he scrunched his forehead. The hands he held out in excitement fell to his sides, as he struggled to read the room. “What?” He asked with a hint of aggression, before noticing the looks of his peers.

“What exactly is a, crush?” Castiel blurted as Sam looked back at him, tutting a little causing Cas to turn back at him. Sam decided it was his own fault for telling Cas in the first place and deemed it a lost cause. Dean waved his hands, gesturing for him to slow down as he eagerly shook his head.

“Hey, Hey, Cas I like you and all b-“

“He’s talking about Y/N” Sam interjected, as Dean paused and took a minute to precess the situation.

“Oh” He said smally, focusing on Castiel’s still furrowed brows. “Listen pal, you’re not exactly her _type_ , Y/N only dates tough guys who ride motorcycles and listen to Zepplin. You know she once got invited backstage by James Hetfield but she wouldn’t go back to his hotel room because she wanted to go home and listen to the new Stones record? Like James Freaking Hetfield man, even _I’d_  go home with that dude.”

“Oh _I’m_ not interested in her, Sam told me you had a crush on her. I guess it is as I expected it to be.” Cas said, analysing his thoughts as he nodded to himself and Sam threw his hands up in defeat. Yep, next time we don’t share secrets with clueless angels.

“I-I don’t have a _crush_ on Y/N, okay?” He said a matter of factly as Castiel seemed surprised, gullible enough to believe him. Despite his telling voice and body language.

“Oh, is it because you don’t find her physically attractive?” He questioned, as Dean was taken back by the question and began nervous laughing and placing his shaky hands on his hips.

“Pft! Okay I never said I was _blind_ , every one can see she’s clearly a very attractive woman” He admitted shamelessly, as Cas nodded and Sam continued to find humour in his nervousness.

“Aw, thanks Dean!” You replied, magically appearing from the shadows. As you strolled past him you placed a hand on his shoulder and causally pecked his cheek. He froze in his spot, his eyes widening as he glared at the ground with an insane looking smile. His cheeks flushed a bright red, as you sat in the empty seat beside Sam and put your legs up on the table.

“Y/N...” he called in pure horror, as he felt the waves of embarrassment wash over him. “W-What are you doing here?” You smiled and unwrapped a lollipop, before sticking it in your mouth. With a quick suck you pulled out again, to answer his question.

“I figured Sam invited me here because of the case...but fingers crossed it’s a surprise party” You joked, as whatever you’d said had seemed to peak Castiel’s interest. A smile broke out on Sam’s face whilst you crossed your fingers and Cas twisted his head to face you, your eyes meeting.

“Party? My apologies I didn’t realise, Happy Birthday!” He greeted politely as you laughed out loud and Sam went to reveal to him it was actually sarcasm. You hushed him, as he looked towards your wagging finger and zipped his mouth shut.

“Thank you sweetheart” You replied, playing along with the act as you could tell Sam wasn’t very pleased. It seems you weren’t going to get a formal introduction, but you were already aware of Castiel. His handsomeness was never mentioned, but he was an angel after all.

“Cas, it’s not really her birthday” Sam admitted, as Cas’ eyebrows remained furrowed in confusion. Sammy is always out to ruin your fun.

“Nope not till the 23rd.” Dean chimed in, unaware of his volume as everyone’s eyes shot back to him. With a large smirk you sucked on your candy flavoured pop and stared back at him. “So uh, how long you staying with us?” He gripped the handle of his shovel and started digging, a shift of topic was the best he could come up with on the spot.

“Well I was never extended an invitation to stay...” You smirked, throwing your head back to make eye contact with a stuttering Sam. He didn’t seem to be capable of forming a sentence, so you averted your attention to the older Winchester.

“Then consider this your invitation” Dean responded, as you sat up straight and looked around at the boys. The shaggy haired Winchester just shrugged in agreement, as you wrapped an arm around his neck and gave him a hearty one armed hug. You ruffled Castiel’s hair as he erupted into a shy smile, Sam raised his eyebrows and Cas quickly dropped his smirk.

“Thank you D, you’re the best” Your boots hit the ground running, as you sprinted over to him and brought him in for a huge hug. You wrapped your arms around his neck and grinned, his face flooded with surprise and excitement. “You’re my new favourite” His eyes widened, as you pecked his cheek and pulled away heading to the nearest empty room.


	2. Chapter 2

After a few hours of getting your bearings, showering, changing and researching; you finally got a hit. Gripping tightly onto your tablet, you pulled yourself from the bedsheets and hurried into the map room. Everyone’s attention averted to you, as you wandered over to the table. Dean’s head lifted up and over at you as he struggled to do anything other than stare at your lips as you spoke. He’d never admit it, maybe not even to himself, but Sam was right.

He’d always had a thing for you. Ever since you met. It will be coming up to about four years now since you saved him and Sam from that vamps nest. You were with your asshole boyfriend at the time, Dean never liked him but neither did Sam. After you saved the Winchesters, you stumbled back to the shared apartment to find him in your bed with another woman. Of course, you pulled out your shotgun and fired a couple of blanks in the wall, but a huge part wished it was in his head.

”We struck gold fellas, supernatural sightings all across the city. And they reek of demon doo doo.” The smile on your face was infectious, hunting always flooded with you with excitement and adrenaline. It wasn’t like it was for the brothers, or like any other hunters. It freed you, hell you actually kind of enjoyed it. But what’s not fun about knocking the souls out of demons and saving people in the process?

”Ha, doo doo.” Dean chuckled, slapping the arm of his unamused brother. Sam rolled his eyes, as they both sat silently and listened to you explain your findings.

“People found dead in their homes, _bleeding out their eyes_. Sounds way too familiar, there’s been at least three victims these past five days and I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell don’t want to see that number raising anytime soon.” You explained, as everyone sighed at the bad news and nodded to themselves in agreement.

”So...what’s the plan?” That was a good question, and honestly you hadn’t even thought that far. Within a couple of seconds you noticed the silence that fell in the room, Sam patiently waiting for you to answer. 

“I say we spilt up to cover more ground, I suggest driving down to the area and asking around about the sightings, check in at the police station, flash our badges. Maybe even question some of the victims or their loved ones. At least it can help us gather some intel on where they’re gonna hit next, make sure no more innocent people get hurt.” Castiel was fascinated, he’d heard stories but the more you spoke the easier it was for him to form his own perception of you. Clearly you were strong willed, but you were also compassionate and intelligent. It made sense why Dean had taken such a liking to you.

”I don’t understand, why would that require us to spilt up?” You smirked at Cas’ lack of understanding, as you nodded gently at him for asking such a good question. His lack of ability to identify social cues seemed to fall nicely into the category of ‘understanding’. Turns out, you hadn’t actually finished explaining your plan.

”Because I’m friends with a hunter, Castiel. He operates in the area and I bet he could know a thing or two about the big bad behind all this” He nodded with a small smirk, as Sam raised his eyebrows and glanced over at you.

”Oh, so you’re telling me we’re not your only hunter friends in Kanas?” He teased, you grinned widely and narrowed your eyes at him as he smiled back at you.

”Why does that matter? You’re still my favourite boys, no matter what.” You sensed his slight shyness, as you leant over the table to grip tight of his open hand and squeeze it. His hazel eyes shone under the light of the ceiling lights, as you pressed a soft kiss against his knuckles and gently pulled away. “If he can give us a lead we can get to the root of the problem, we can figure out a way to stop these killings and get these soul suckers off our backs all at once.”

”So how about Cas and I speak to your hunter friend, and you and Dean can ask down at the police station?” It was clear to everyone but you, that this was Sam’s plan. To get you and Dean alone so he could actually work up the courage to hold a conversation with you. Dean caught on immediately, as his neck snapped to look back at his brother.

”That’s fine but...Jerry is a pretty closed off guy. He trusts me, but I’ll have to introduce you before he’d even consider speaking to you.” Sam nodded and you smiled widely, Dean looked at you, his pupils replaced with hearts as he took one look at you and felt at ease. “Great! So we’ll set off tonight? Oh god I haven’t rode in the Impala in forever” You hopped onto the table and wriggled your legs in the air in excitement, as Dean’s face cracked into a wide grin that he failed to conceal.

”You wanna sit up front with me? I can roll down the windows, speed down some of the rural roads, let you get the full Winchester experience” It came as a slight shock to Sam to see Dean so confident for once, considering the moment you stepped into the bunker his legs have turned to jelly.

“ _The_ _Winchester_ _experience_ ,  _ay?_ ” He chuckled, slightly embarrassed but still keeping up his cool, level headed persona for the meanwhile. You raised your brow, Dean just nodding to himself in agreement. The smirk on your face didn’t shift as you nodded eagerly and wrapped your hands around his neck, before pecking his check and patting a hand on his chest.

”You treat me good, Dean Winchester.” He gulped slightly at the physical affection, as he blushed and giggled like a schoolboy with a crush. Sam chuckled, as you wandered back to your room and started packing for your Kansas road trip.

 —

The drive felt pretty smooth, but you started to wonder if that was just because you’re used to it. Driving on the open road, you had to admit, felt weird with the company. But in the best way. Sam fell asleep the minute you set off, though it was sort of hard to blame him. It was getting dark early and he’d also been up all night researching. So it was just you and Dean upfront, you always have this sense of security when you were with him. Maybe it’s the whole Winchester stigma, but you’d always feel so safe, in a different way than with his brother.

”We missed having you in town you know, don’t see you round as much.” He grumbled in his deep raspy voice, it was clear he was tired but we still had a few hours to go until the nearest motel. God knows if he will even sleep there or not.

”I missed you too, D. And Sammy too, don’t worry I made sure to keep tabs on you both. Nice to see you picked up an angel” He responded with a huff of a laugh, cracking a smile and eyes still remaining on the road ahead. “Have you been looking after yourself, D?” Your eyes wandered and fell to the hand he had rested near the gear shift, your fingertips gently tracing down it as he studderd slightly. Awkwardly, he pulled away and placed both hands back on the steering wheel.

”You know how it is, road food, motel breakfast, and that’s if you’re _lucky_.” You felt a slight sinking in your chest, as you wished you were around more to help him like you used to. When you were living in Kanas, all three of you used to head out to fancy food places and you’d always make Dean order something that was in between healthy and unhealthy. “How you been doing?” A smile crossed your lips, as your eyes glanced behind you and then next to you.

”I’m back in my favourite car, with my favourite boys, it’s hard to complain about much” His smile was wide and genuine, as you smirked back and rested your head on the side of the car. Watching the trees and street lamps fall behind you and merge into a blur of light. “How long until we get to the motel?” Your eyes didn’t shift from your position as you continued to stare outside, from the car window.

“About an hour sweetheart, but don’t worry about me. You get your beauty sleep, I’ll wake up when we’re checking in” A yawn crept upon you at the mention of sleep, as you covered mouth and rested the weight of your head against the leather bounded car door. Your body contorted into the shape of a cat taking a nap, as you cuddled up to the side of the car next to you.

”Okay. But you gotta promise to carry me up to bed though, I haven’t slept in days” There was darkness surrounding you, as your eyelids shielded your eyelids from the neon lights that littered the road. You watched the backs of your eyes, until you slowly began drifting off...


	3. Chapter 3

You pulled outside the front of Jerry’s cabin, as everyone piled out of the car all at once. Sam stepped out onto the road, as he gripped the handle and opened the car door for you. You struggled to hide the smile that passed your lips, as you climbed and pecked his cheek, ruffling his hair. In the corner of your eye, you noticed him blush slightly to himself, his brother shooting him a look a threatening look from inside the car. As you wandered over to Sam, he coughed to break the tension. His eyes glancing around the surrounding area.

”Jerry lives a pretty quiet life, huh?” He pointed out, walking closely next to you as he and Castiel followed you up to the front door. You knocked with the front of your knuckles, then slip your hands in the pockets of your jacket.

”Uh huh. Real hunter house. His wife, Valerie, she was awesome. She passed away a couple years back, so he just hunts and keeps to himself. I come visit when I can find the time” Sam gave you that sympathetic look, his head tilting and those big puppy dog eyes staring back into yours. The door began opening slowly, as you were greeted by an averagely tall man with a baseball cap and flannel shirt. The moment his eyes locked on you, a smirk crossed your face and he smiled wider than you’d ever seen.

”Pumpkin? What are you doing here?” His smile was infectious, as you noticed Sam and Cas share a glance as well as a smile. Jerry has always given you that nickname, he’d known you since you were young and he and your mother used to hunt together. He’d always tell people how you ‘loved Halloween so much as a kid, that you turned it into a lifestyle’. And he’d tell them about the pumpkin patch in October, the face paint and of course, the pumpkin pie. He always said how you were _his_ pumpkin pie.

”Since when do you need a reason to see me?” You teased narrowing your eyes with a grin, you watched as he chuckled to himself and lightly shook his head.

“I ain’t ever need a reason to see your pretty face again” He admitted before bringing you in for a heartfelt hug. A hand found his back as you gently rubbed it and squeezed him tight. It’s been a while, it felt almost wrong of you to only be visiting because of a case, but time gets away from you. You pulled away and turned back to the tall Winchester and trench coat wearing angel, reminding them you were still aware of their presence.

”Well, I brought a couple other pretty faces with me” You explained, his eyes investigating behind you. “This is Castiel and Sam Winchester” They both snapped back to reality and shot him brief smiles before, feeling some kind of pressure.

”Winchester?” He repeated, clearly aware of their history and reputation. You nodded with a grin, as Sam’s hand slightly raised and waved back at him. Jerry’s focus moved back to you, as his eyebrow raised. “Why does it not surprise me that you know the Winchesters?” A laugh fell from between your teeth, your head dropping with a glance down at your shoes. 

“She saved mine and my brother’s lives.” Sam explained briefly, stepping forward and gently pushing past Castiel to make his presence more known. The face of the hunter curled into a smirk, as he patted a hand on your shoulder.

”She saved mine too.” His smile was genuine and his eyes narrowed, staring into yours. Castiel’s neck turned to the side, his eye line matching the Winchester next to him. And the confusion settles.

”What from? A vampire? A demon?” His lips pursed as you let out a sigh mixed with a light chuckle, Jerry removed his hand and shook his head again.

”Plenty of things a man needs saving from than monsters, boy” You felt your heart sink in your chest, your breath unsteady. Tears welled up in your eyes, but you used every instinct in your body to not release them. Not now. Not in front of Sam and Cas. “You coming in for a drink, pumpkin?” With a swift smile and shake of your head, you swallowed down your emotions and glanced back at Dean waiting in the front of the Impala. 

“No, no, I’d love it but I gotta head down to the police station downtown.” You turned back, glancing at your longtime friend with a look of guilt on your face. “I was hoping I could charm you into filling Sam and Cas in on the case? Just while I question some cops. I promise I’ll come back as soon as we’re done.” He sighed deeply, giving a glance to the men behind you.

”How could I say no to you, pumpkin?” The smile that clung to your cheeks was difficult to shift as you pressed a sloppy kiss on his cheek and squeezed him between your arms. A chuckle slipped through his lips, as you uttered a thank you in his ear and faced in the direction of the car. 

“Look after yourself and don’t let Cas ask too many questions, alright Sammy?” He nodded, his hands shoved deep into his jean pockets as you rubbed your thumb against his cheek and ruffled Cas’ hair. You wished everyone a goodbye, strutting towards the vehicle. Dean was leaned against the door to the passenger seat, as you narrowed your eyes and folded your arms across your chest. “You playing games, Winchester?” You flirted, scanning your eyes up and down his body as he chuckled.

”I know better than to play games with a girl like you” He moved smoothly from the door, sliding his hand under the door handle as he opened up and gestured for you to get in. You didn’t shift positions, whilst he waited for your move.

”Smart man” Left your throat in a hushed whisper, followed by the sound of your boots against the gravel as you moved into the seat and he slammed the door behind you. “Our first case as a tag team, huh? You gonna show me how this baby really runs?” His smile grows wide at the thought, _finally_ , a way he can impress you. And so effortlessly. His hand turns the key in the ignition, your back forcefully pressing against your seat as you scream and chuckle. The smirk doesn’t shift, as he glances over at you. Your eyes catch his gaze as you grin widely and he tries to remember to keep his eyes on the road. 

As you approach the police station, Dean pulls the Impala up into the nearest parking spot and immediately steps out to open the door to the seats behind you. His hand fondles about with the long black gym bag, filled with loaded weapons and suits as he rests both hands on the leather and sighs.

”Wut-oh that sigh didn’t sound too cheery” You spun your body to face him, as he took another look through the bag and shook his head in disappointment. 

“We forgot to get you a suit.” A laugh escaped your lips as you shook your head, gripping his hand from the passenger seat and shooting him one of your reassuring ‘it’s gonna be okay’ looks. 

“We passed a suit store less than a mile back, looks like you’ll just have to foot the bill” You teased with a devilish smirk, as he shook his head and chuckled lightly to himself. He joined you in the front as you both headed towards the store you’d mentioned, it would be hard for him to admit, but Dean didn't feel too bummed about getting to spend some extra time with you. Especially alone.

Sure when Sam had thrown him in the deep end so unexpectedly, he had his doubts. Besides, last time you spoke you were with your douche of a boyfriend that he hated. He remembered receiving a phone call after you were on a hunt together. It was him, telling you to stay away from his girl. But he just chuckled down the line, _you were Y/N Y/L/N you belonged to nobody._ But you certainly weren’t his, he would never interfere with someone else’s relationship no matter how strong his feelings for you were.

”Dean? Can you please hand me this suit but in a size down?” His head snaps up to the closed curtain of the changing room, as he stands up from his seat and grips the suit you asked for. After a brief pause, he examines the suits and notices there’s a black and grey. 

“Are you uh...decent?” He awkwardly called from behind the fabric, as you giggled to yourself and glanced back in the mirror.

”I’ve had no complaints” You flirted, as he just shook his head and stared up at the sky. This was going to be difficult for him. With a swift movement, he handed you the items of clothing and explained they had two colours. “Hmm I’ll just have to try them both and you can let me know which is best” A small nod was all he could manage to respond with, as you rolled your eyes at his shyness. You changed into the grey one and sighed, it wasn’t as flattering as you would have hoped.

”All good in there?” A sigh left your mouth, Dean lingered outside waiting patiently for a response. There was a pause, as you pulled the curtain back and frowned. To your surprise, he seemed to find the grey suit _very_ flattering.

”You have the black one right?” He nodded again, struggling to formulate a sentence. His mouth knitted together, as he placed the suit in your hands and you raised your eyebrows. Your phone buzzed, it was Sam. The second you answered you ushered Dean into the room, he did as you requested, pulling the fabric along its rail.

”Sammy? Is everything okay?” His rough and raspy voice was so attractive to you, you could hear the concern laced in his words and you felt that pang in your chest. You began to think about how many times they’ve lost each other, all things they’d gone through. Dean held onto your phone and discussed the case, as you just stared at him. The call ended as he sighed and handed the phone back to you, your eyes still glued to him as he hadn’t noticed.

”They’re fine, he just said Jerry has a lead an-“ He was cut off when he felt your arms wrap around his torso and he froze, giving himself a second to process. Sure, he wanted to hug back but he was too taken back by it all. Before he could contemplate it any further, you pulled away and planted a light kiss on his stubble.

”Sorry, I just thought you might have needed that, especially lately.” Unexpectedly, he gripped tightly onto your shoulders and pulled you close to him as you smirked to yourself. You snaked your arms around him, squeezing him tight as you felt his chin rest on your back. Your eyes glanced at the mirror, noticing his eyes close. That’s when you understood, he needed this way more than you first thought. “I got you if you fall, Dean, I got you” You whispered lightly into his ear, he chuckled but didn’t let go as you sighed.

“I know” He muttered back as if it was a secret no one else could know. “Just don’t let me fall again, okay? I’m happy with where I landed this time.” It was near impossible to conceal the wide grin on your face, as you buried your head in his chest and you both stayed there for a little longer.

“Alright Winchester, we don’t have time to mess around we have a case to solve! Quit being so unprofessional” He giggled and shook his head, as your phone buzzed again and your face morphed into a look of confusion. With a quick glance, you both stared down at your caller ID, it was Cas. 

“Hi Y/N I just wanted to let you know Sam and I spoke to Jerry and-“

”Cas honey I know, Sammy filled us in about 2 minutes ago.” The line was silent as you and Dean shared a similar look and Castiel remained silent. “Would you like to speak to Dean?” Immediately the man next to you panicked, slightly annoyed that you dumped the burden on him. With a sigh from him and a devious smirk from you, he let Cas explain the case to him again as you began stripping down and changing into the other suit.

”Oh uh, I-I can leave if you need me to I-“ His words piled up in his mouth as he spilled them into the air with a stutter. You just shook your head and waved him off with your hand. He quickly became restless and struggled on figuring out how to stand and where to look.

His plan was to just focus on the call, as he turned his back but couldn’t help but sneak a peek through the glass. You caught his eye, as he quickly looked away and you chuckled sliding your leg into the pants. “Listen Cas, we really need to focus on the case. I’ll call you later” He explained, ending the call as he sat down on the seat next to him and rested his head against the wall. A smirk passed your lips, as you began wrapping the tie around your collar. Dean sat up and noticed you struggling through the glass, you smiled once you noticed him.

”You gonna help me or you just gonna sit and look pretty?” He bowed his head, failing to hide the curve of his lips as he stood up and moved in front of you. His careful hands found both ends of the fabric, whilst he began wrapping it around his neck. He avoided eye contact, as you examined his face. All the little freckles and the clean-shaven stubble, his furrowed eyebrows concentrating on the task at hand. “I’ve missed you Dean” You blurted, catching his attention as his green eyes shoot up at yours and then back to the tie.

”I uh...I missed you too.” Dean wanted so badly to shoot his shot, but he knew you had a boyfriend. Or at least you did last time you spoke. But he couldn’t risk that, not if you were someone else’s. Not that he ever thought _you_ could _belong_ to anyone. When Sam had thrown him in the deep end so unexpectedly, he had his doubts. But this, this was good. Just getting to spend time with you, it felt like forever since the last time.

“You gonna tie the knot?” The glass shattered as he snapped out of his daydream and crash landed back down to Earth. His heart begins to race as he looked back at you in shock. “...The tie, D?” He laughs and cracks his neck, swallowing his fear as he ties it tight before loosening it. Whilst you admire yourself in the mirror, he takes a step back and fades into the background. ”How’d I look?” He hesitates, taking it all in as he looks you up and down and nods. 

“Beautiful” He utters as you turn to face him, as he adjusts his posture and stands up straight. You giggle, rubbing his arm with the palm of your hand and a soft smile.

”All thanks to you. What’d I do without you, Dean Winchester?” He sniggered to himself, your eyes narrowed but your smile didn’t shift an inch.

”Oh, I’m 100% sure you’d be more than capable on your own” He was sweet to suggest that, and maybe in a way he was right. Maybe nothing would be that different if you’d never of met the Winchesters, but all you knew was you were glad you did. You were grateful for them and couldn’t imagine them not being there. Especially Dean. 

Especially Dean.


	4. Chapter 4

The station was scattered with police officers and staff workers, the sound of bleeping phones on hooks and the pacing of passing by criminals flooded the room. Your partner’s eyes glanced around as you sighed, guess all these murders have backed up the extremely _unflawed_  justice system. You abandoned the Winchester, marching over to the first person who looked as if he held had any sense of authority. Dean followed closely behind, speed walking to catch up to you as you approached the officer in question. 

”Officer Henry Cole? I’m Detective Plant.” His mouth curled into a friendly smile, Dean’s eyebrows raised as his eyes widened and he shot you a questioning look.

”Ah yes the F.B.I, that must make you Detective Page.” He nodded towards the clueless man standing next to you, as he just grinned politely. “Please, follow me into my office and we can discuss this more privately. In respect to the victim's families, of course.” His eyes dropped to the floor, he sighed and looked about the area at all the sad faces. You agreed before he escorted you both to a medium-sized room located at the back of the office space. 

“How the hell did he know my name?” With a glance and furrowed brows, you looked back at him and smiled lightly. 

“I called the station and let them know we were coming...why what do _you_ do on cases? Just show up and flash your badges?” He remained speechless as his silence spoke for itself. It amused you how the Winchesters are known as legends in the hunting game, yet have very sloppy methods when it comes to their fake personas. Before you could continue your conversation, Officer Cole had relaxed in one of the chairs in front of you. Immediately you pulled up a seat and joined him, Dean following along, still trapped in his daze. 

“We apologise for the sensitivity of this situation Officer Cole, but we would like to question you about the recent murder cases.” He nodded and Dean remained confused, you were feeling some sort of guilt about the whole process. You were just so used to working alone that your tag team plan seemed to only suit one person. That person being you.

”It’s okay it’s...Holly. My wife. She...” He paused mid-sentence, upon instinct your hand stretched across the table between you as you placed it on his. He exhaled, his focus dropping to your gesture of sympathy as he nodded with a weak smile. “I found her in the lobby of the hotel...we were on a family trip, Junior said he... _saw something._ We tried to explain to him that it was just his imagination but he wouldn’t back down from his silly story. Must just be the shock of losing his mother.” It all seemed to finally click in Dean's brain, his head snapped back at you as he took a swing at asking one of his own questions.

"Was there anything...out of the ordinary with your wife's death?" The officer's brows furrowed, as he readjusted his seating position to make eye contact with the male agent. He sighed deeply, thinking over the events that had occurred not that long ago. He shivered slightly as he replayed it in his head.

She was out cold, he'd noticed Junior wasn't in their hotel room and he'd started to panic. After roaming down the halls, he found him. He found _them_. His son, hovering over his wife's body, her pale blue eyes dripping with blood.

"Any cold spots, flickering lights, the smell of sulfur?" Your hand slapped against his shoulder, as he yelped and stared back at you with dilated pupils. Cole was in a state of confusion, he aligned his back and sat up straight in his seat.

"I'm sorry...did you say sulfur? I don't...what does that have to do with my wife?" You chuckled, shrugging it off and trying your hardest to cover his back. Is really this how they _talk,_ to _people?_

"Apologises for my partner Officer, he's new at this" Dean's neck snapped back at you, while he furrowed his eyebrows and shot you a dirty look. "We're pretty thorough, we like to know every detail down to the.." You paused, for breath and let out a small cough, glancing back at Dean. "Scents" You finished, flashing your pearly white teeth and praying to Cas that he'd be reluctant to suspect anything. By some miracle, Cole failed to see through your lies and confirmed his trust in you with a simple head nod. Silently you took a deep breath, pondering all the ways you would grill Dean after this.

"I'm sorry agents I...I didn't see or, smell, anything unusual." You both nodded with awkward half-smirks and thanked him for his time and cooperation. Dean was smart enough to head out first and practically sprint to the reception. What could you say? You weren't exactly a force to be reckoned with. And the punishment for interfering with your cases wasn't exactly  _mild._

_"Dean!"_

___

Jerry's cabin was located on the outskirts of Kansas, just down the way of the middle of nowhere. It stood tall, built from old firewood and masculinity. He had a picket fence surrounding the perimeter of the house and a screen door. He drank beer and wore trucker caps and he had one of those strong southern twangs. You could look at him twice and still pit him for a redneck, but he was really one of the most important people in your life.

"So Jerry, how'd you know Y/N?" Sam questioned kindly, striking up some light-hearted small talk. Jerry's strong grimy hands clutched the coffee pot, whilst he gently filled his empty cup to the brim. A smirk passed his lips at the mention of your name, it's been a long while since anyone asked him about you.

"Well, I known her since she were a lil tyke" He chuckled heartedly, taking a large swig of his freshly brewed caffeine. "I known her mama from the field" Cas pursed his lips, knitting his dark eyebrows together and tilting his head to the side. So your mother was a hunter, that explains where you get your hunting skills from. His hand tugged at Sam’s sleeve, as he pulled his ear down to his lips.

”Y/N’s mother was a hunter” Cas whispered, it was unclear if he was intending to be discreet or not, but either way he was failing miserably. Sam chuckled in the center of his chest, briefly glancing back at Jerry with an apologetic smirk. He was suspicious of Castiel, and a little of Sam too. That was his nature after all, but he was willing to put that in the backseat because he trusted you like his own. 

“How’d you fellas know my pumpkin?” He questioned back, shifting the focus from Cas’ shout whispering and sipping his own mug of coffee. Sam’s hand reached around the back of his neck, releasing a nervous laugh from between his teeth. His relationship with you was pretty... _complicated_. He made sure to not leave a long enough pause for him to question him, as he sat up straight letting out a soft cough. 

”She saved my brother and me from a vamps nest about 4 years ago, she’s in Kanas sometimes, as you know. We used to spend a lot of...time together, actually” For whatever reason, his phrasing piqued the angel’s interest. He would usually pipe up but luckily understood the social cue and decided not to pry. 

“Your brother the one wi the Chevy?” Sam nodded with a small smile, _technically_ it was their dad's. He could argue that it's _their_ chevy but both of them know who it belongs to. And spoiler alert, it's not Sam. "Well, I 'erd a lotta tales bout you Winchester boys. Even 'erd you ride around with an angel" He chuckled, as Sam just awkwardly nodded along and Cas narrowed his eyes.

"Well yes..I'm Castiel...I'm an angel of the Lord" Sam mentally slapped his hand against his face, he sighed under his breath and glanced back at a very oblivious Cas. Jerry's brows knitted together, as it felt like their cue to leave. He placed his mug on the table in front of him and quickly stood up from the armchair.

"You know it was really nice meeting you, Jerry, but uh we have to get back to the motel" There was a strange sweep of tension that filled the room, as Sam's hand reached to grip onto Cas' arm and pull him out of his chair. "Thank you so much for helping us out with the case, we really appreciate it"

 _"It was nice meeting you!"_   

_

Dean had spoken to the woman behind the desk and gathered all the details needed for the case. You both started with a list of names belonging to the victim's families. You placed your hand on his shoulder and forearm as you peered over at the clipboard in his hand. You noticed his eyes slightly glance back, noticing the lack of space between the two of you.

“You cover the first half and I’ll handle the rest” His dark green eyes shimmered in the light of the flickering police lamp. Dean wasn't the sort of guy to take orders from someone, especially when that someone was his dorky little brother. But he had _no_ trouble taking orders from you. His head just nodded, as you grinned with your teeth and chuckled to yourself. “Later, partner” You teased, gesturing a tip of your imaginary cowboy hat as you waltzed away.

Dean covered half the list as you got to work on the rest. It pained you, speaking to all the tear-stained cheeks and heavy hearts. You knew what it felt like to care so much about your family that it hurt. It was something you and the Winchesters had in common. Your mother, she was the most important person in your life. After you were born, your dad left. And you see, she had the strength to give up on hunting. Him, not so much. You always thought a lot about Mary, the boy's mother. Sam once told you the story of how she died and you could almost feel the cracks in his heart. But they still fought like hell, every day. They protected and loved each other, they valued family over everything else. And you knew from the second you met them, that they were something different, something special. 

After you finished conducting the interviews, you concluded that it was a bust. A lot of the people you spoke to hadn't witnessed the murders themselves or even discovered the bodies. Hopefully, your _partner_ knew something you didn't. It seemed you wrapped up around the same time, as you wandered over to each other. You raised your eyebrows and smiled, as he leaned down and muttered something to you. "You know Cole's kid?" He questioned, as you nodded.

" _Junior_?" He tutted with a slight chuckle, I mean come on who calls their kid _Junior_? With a slight nod of his head, he placed his hand on the small of your back in an attempt to turn you. As you shifted your focus in the direction he faced you, you noticed a young boy. He couldn't be more than 10 years old. You picked up on his suggestion, as you wandered towards him, a sweet smile plastered on your face.

"Excuse me, you're Henry Cole aren't you?" His sunken eyes looked up at you from the coffee table, as you gently shifted toward the sofa opposite him and took a seat. He glanced back up at Dean, watching as he sat down beside you. Still no response. 

"This is Y/N, and I'm Dean. We wanted to ask you some questions 'boutcha mom, that okay with you?" You felt the natural urge to step in but could see that Dean had it under control, not that Henry seemed like the sort of person who was up for a conversation right now. But who can blame him? "Listen, I know it's hard-"

"Do you?" He snapped, both of your eyes widened in shock. _Juniors got a bite_. A large part of you felt threatened, but mostly by his aggressive stance towards Dean. But to your surprise, he was calm. You could see it in his eyes, he was holding it all back, but he was calm.

"Kid-"  


"No, you don't get to act like you get it when you don't. You don't care about me, or my mom or _anything_. You just want to ask your crappy questions so you can move on to your next tragic victim" This seemed to rattle something in Dean's skull, as he growled slightly under his breath. This kid was hurt, he understood that. He just needed to keep reminding himself. "My mom was _murdered_ , in _front_ of me. And I can't have a second to process it without getting questioned about it." I could feel the air leave Dean's lungs, as he dropped his head before looking back at Henry. His eyes filled up with tears.

"Actually, I do know what it's like. When I was a kid I lost my mom in...a fire" He started strong but you noticed his eyes shift to the ground, as he paused. Immediately you placed your hand on his, gently rubbing your thumb against his skin. "I was a kid, I was young. I saw someone that night, saw them start the fire. The police...they didn't believe me. Didn't care enough to bother with my silly stories. And it hurt me, I still miss my mom like crazy." Henry's ears perked up as he straightened his posture slightly, rising up from his slumped position. 

"I-I'm sorry, about your mom I mean." Dean just nodded in response, needing a little more time to recover from the triggering memory replaying in his head. "The person in your house...they got away?" Your head snapped to the side, staring back at him whilst you waited for the answer. 

"Yeah, yeah they did." He responded, hanging his head. "But that's because I spoke to the wrong people, if I had people like us back then, maybe we woulda caught them." Henry just nodded in response, as his eyes darted between you both.

"Alright, I'll...I'll answer your questions." He muttered as you nodded and shot him a reassuring smile. Dean just smirked weakly, as you patted his back and you both got to work.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a brisk night, darkness fell pretty early around this time of year and it was actually quite a calming drive. All the lights of the street looked so pretty from outside your window. You didn't think you or Dean had intended to be out this late but you really needed to gather enough information on the case as possible. Per  _your_ request of course. His eyes didn't leave the road, but you could almost feel them glance back at you every few hours. _Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd_ was softly playing through the stereo of the Impala, the sound of the gentle guitar easing your mind. Your eyelids slowly began to close as you, shuffled in your car seat and cuddled up to the headrest.

”Take a picture, Winchester” Your taunting was met with an awkward chuckle and series of 'ums'. You opened one eye and smirked at his flushed cheeks. It was then that you decided against taking a nap and figured you wouldn’t waste the quality time you were spending with Dean. 

“You did really good today, with that kid I mean. You really looked like you knew what you were doing” He just chuckled as his face morphed into this humble smile, you watched his head shake as he hung it slightly.

”He was too young to be seeing crap like that...I knew he wasn’t really being a jerk he just needed to blow off some steam.” Your glare slowing trailed from the direction of the window to the driver next to you, his eyes still glued to the road ahead and avoiding eye contact.

”You speaking from personal experience?” His smile grew a little wider, but it was still small. His eyes remained on the road, as it seemed to open some kind of wound that he didn't know he was going to be opening tonight. Both you and Dean knew of his troubled family life, mom dying when he was a kid. Dad not being around much, him practically _raising_  Sam. 

"Pretty much." Was all he could muster the courage to say, you immediately straightened your back and sat up in your seat. You knew he didn't mean to blunt, really. If anything he was refraining from that, he was a pretty closed off guy but he still valued your feelings too much to be as sharp with his words as he usually is.

"Dean it's okay, you don't need to-"

"No, it's fine. Really. I'm just not used to talking out loud 'bout this stuff. Kind of a bottle-stuff-up-and-take-it-to-the-grave kinda guy." He chuckled, probably to mask whatever pain he was trying to push past. Your heart sunk in your chest a little as you shot him a weak smile and he shook the thoughts from his head. 

"My dad...he wasn't the best of men. Actually, he was kind of a dick. Especially to Sam." You'd never really heard Dean speak so openly about John, Sam had told you a lot, sure. Though his words were always so cryptic, so careful. He spoke about him as if it was _taboo_. "After mom...it hit us both pretty hard. Dad especially. Between her dying, me having to look out for Sammy and dad...I started acting out."

"You were _hurting,_ Dean." His grip tightened around the leather of the wheel, holding back the anger that bubbled in the pit of his chest. His neck snapped to face you, his whole body relaxing the moment his eyes melted into yours. 

"People deal with trauma in different ways, you just couldn't deal with the pain. No one is judging you for that, okay?" Your hand reached toward the steering wheel in front of him, as you rested your hand on top of his. Those soft emerald eyes gleamed back at you, as he stared long enough to catch the gentle smile you shot him.

"Damn Y/L/N how the hell do you do that? I spend one car ride with you and you're making me-"

"Work through your daddy issues? Well, I am an expert after all." You smirked with a wide toothy grin, watching the creases in his cheeks curl up and his dimples appear. You both shared a small laugh, as you gasped and gripped your hand onto his arm. "Dean."

"What, you having a vision?" You titled your head against your shoulder and narrowed your eyes, grinning widely at his sarcasm. Your glare fell to your hands, as you sighed lightly to yourself.

"It's Jerry I forgot to see him...to say goodbye." You explained, thinking back to the promise you made on his doorstep earlier in the day. Without intending to, you slipped into this brief state of silence and it wasn't long until he noticed this. On a whim, Dean's head peered out at the signpost in front of him as he spun the car around at high speed. "What are you doing?" Your voice was steady, but your fight or flight instance was being tested.

"What's it look like? I'm taking you to see Jerry" He stated casually, pushing his foot against the accelerator, a cloud of dust and smoke escaping the engine. Both your eyes and smile grew wide, excitement and adrenaline rushing through your veins. Your hand whacked against the dashboard as you turned up the stereo and rolled down the windows, cheering and banging your fist above your head. His smile was bright and pure, the feeling of content washing over him as he looked over at you.

-

"Okay Miss, here's your stop. Thanks for driving with our service, we hope you consider us again soon." He played, pulling back the break and rocking up outside the cabin. It was so dark, but Jerry had his porch light on. A small part of you worried about how late it was, but you knew when he saw your face he couldn't stay mad. 

"I'm sorry Sir, I don't seem to have any money" You flirted, as his eyes widened and he smirked to himself trying not to blush. The dorkiest smile crossed his lips, as you giggled to yourself. "Guess I owe you then huh?" His head snapped to look back at you, your head shook as you patted his back before making your way out of the car. The moment you felt the handle push down you paused, closing the door and turning back to him. 

"Come with me" He was a little confused, your request sounded more like a demand than a question. What was he going to do? _Turn you down?_ Every time he looked at you he was put under this spell, and not like those awful spells that witches put him under. Like one where it's impossible for him to neatly divide his feelings for you. So he just nodded watching you grin like a little kid, whilst you climbed out of the car together. He went ahead first, wandering up to the door and knocking. Without much hesitation, the door swung open, as Jerry stood strong his assault rifle pointing directly at Dean's chest. You gasped and covered your mouth, in an attempt to hold back the laughter that left your lips after seeing Dean's face. 

"Who're you and what're ya doing on my property?" He threatened, cocking his gun as you decided this was probably the best time to run to his aid. You sprinted up the stairs and hopped in front of Dean, causing Jerry to widen his eyes. 

"Hey ya old kook, if you gonna hurt him you gotta go through me" You half-joked, as he lowered his gun, quickly disarming it as he brought you in for a bone-crushing hug. It seemed that Dean was just trying to process everything, his feet glued to the wood beneath it as you and Jerry shared a look. 

"Well, what're we standing out in the cold 'fur? I'll make us all a nice pot a coffee." Before anyone had time to respond, he disappeared into the house as you followed closely behind. Your hand found Dean's as you dragged him along and he unwilling joined you on the sofa. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the feeling of your hand resting in his, it was just that he was still a little shaken up from the whole, you know  _gun in his face thing._ Jerry's stare fell to your interlocked fingers, it wasn't that much of a surprise that he was protective over you. Dean was pretty well educated on non-father, father figures. 

After a while, Dean started to become aware of how long you'd been holding hands. In this time, Jerry had already prepared three freshly brewed mugs of caffeine and you'd even spoke a little about the case. Though your eyes never shifted. It was almost like second nature. Not to acknowledge where you laid your hands, you took a swig of your coffee whilst Jerry wandered into the kitchen to fetch something. About twenty minutes had passed since you looked at Dean, so you finally turned your head to look back at him.

"You've been awfully quiet" He was stunned by your accusation, his cheeks curling into a smile and the creases of his face appearing on his skin. Your thumb traced over his knuckle as you gently rubbed it and stared back at him. "Don't be nervous, okay? He doesn't bite"

"Yeah, but he might shoot" Dean muttered under his breath, as a small chuckle escaped your mouth and you were greeted by the older hunter. His hands were gripped to a leather-bound photo album that looked seemingly familiar. 

"Is that what I think it is?" Your voice was lined with excitement, a small smirk creeping up on your face. His head nodded as he relaxed back into the armchair beneath him and patted the cover.

"I got some photos of Pumpkin in the park and on the hayride." His smile was gleaming, whilst he flicked through the pages and searched for some photos to share with the two of you. "Isn't she 'dorable?" Dean glanced over at you as he leaned his body forward, his glance falling to the book as he took it from Jerry's grip.

Jerry's smile failed to fade whilst he watched Dean flick through the folder, a small grin appearing on his face. Your head rested on his shoulder, as he quickly turned to look at you.  "This 'un were taken around October time. Pumpkin loved Halloween, I remember when her Mama would tell her 'bout how she hunted monsters and she would smile so wide." His eyes lingered on the photo as he grinned wide and smirked back at you.

"That why you love hunting so much?" You thought about it for a second, moving your chin from his shoulder. Monsters, ghosts and ghouls had always appealed to you but it had never occurred to you that that's why you'd loved hunting. You crossed your legs over each other and smirked back at Jerry, shaking your head.

"In a way, but it's more because of my mom. She's the original badass, I just remember wanting to be like her so bad" It was difficult to wipe off the large grin that clung to your face. But that always seemed to be the cause when you spoke about your mom. She meant the world to you, between her raising you alone when your dad left and teaching you to hunt, she _was_ badass. Whilst you were caught up in your gleeful state you noticed that both of the men seemed to be looking back at you with loving stares.

"Well, you did a great job because you're the most badass person I've ever met" Dean perked up as you almost felt your cheeks blush crimson at his slight attempt at flirting. His behaviour seemed to catch Jerry's attention as he winked back at you both and you narrowed your eyes at him.

You ended up talking until the darkness outside got a little darker and the late night turned into early morning. Jerry took a liking to Dean and it seemed to catch you off guard. You figured it was a Winchester thing and didn't seem to think much about it until you walked in on them laughing with each other. Both your hands gripped around the handle of two mugs of coffee you had made them. Jerry thanked you and pressed a kiss on your cheek as you smiled and handed the second drink to Dean, who just nodded and muttered a thank you. This oddly seemed to pique Jerry's interest. 

"Oh so don't she get a kiss from you?" You relaxed into the sofa, noticing the older Winchester become slightly flustered. It was funny to see him so worked up, he wasn't the type to be tongue twisted. Your eyebrows raised as you crossed your arms across your chest and nodded at him, playing along.

"Yeah Winchester, where's my kiss?" You teased, as he looked around the room in a panic. Both you and Jerry giggled to yourselves, looking back at each other as Dean finally caught on. _You were messing with him._ He chuckled and shook his head, wagging his finger and taking a swig of the coffee you made him.

"Nice try, I almost got blown away once today I'm not gonna ruffle the feathers of the boyfriend too" A thin blanket of silence fell lightly in the room, leaving Dean in a state of confusion. By the look that Jerry shot you, he seemed to be surprised that you hadn't mentioned the incident to your partner. Luckily for you, he knew well enough not to reveal anything you weren't ready to yet. 

"Anyways enough screwing 'round, I just remembered 'bout all the crap I gotta do 'morrow so I'm gonna need you kids to skedaddle." With a small look and head nod, you thanked him for changing the subject and figured he was right to assume that you'd overstayed your welcome. Immediately you jumped into his arms and squeezed him tight. "Don't be too long now, ya 'ere me?" You chuckled and nodded leaving a kiss on his cheek and pulling away.

Dean stood strong and tall, puffing out his chest in some kind of attempt at proving his authority. Jerry grinned slightly and nodded back at him, Dean gripped his hand and shook it tightly as you rolled your eyes. You grew impatient and eagerly gripped Dean's other hand, pulling him away. "Love you Jer! Thanks for the coffee!" He smirked the widest smirk, pulling Dean's ear close to his lips.

"Take care of my girl, Dean." Jerry whispered before he felt himself get whisked away from the cabin and towards the car. You waved goodbye with a wide grin, blowing him a kiss as he caught it in his hand and held it to his heart. You'd never felt more at home than with him and you knew how much you would miss seeing his face. But you guys had a case to handle. As you pulled yourself into the seat, you felt the key turn and the engine rumble.

You'd slept during the majority of the car ride to the motel but was woken up gently by a tap on the shoulder. It was a rest stop, about four miles from where you were staying. But duty calls and Dean needed to use a bathroom ASAP. So you sat and you waited, glancing outside at the cars pulling up to the stops and filling their empty tanks with gas. It was so sweet of him to take you to see Jerry, it was so late and you would never have expected him to do that for you. Your thoughts were interrupted by him hopping into the driver's seat and tossing a bag of candy in your lap.

"Wait are these-"

"Milk Duds, they're your favourite right?" You felt a weird feeling your stomach as you just nodded and your smirk grew wide. It didn't seem to phase him, as he went to turn the key in the lock and you placed your hand over his. His head slowly turned back to face you, as your grin refused to fade.

"Dean, I just wanna thank you for tonight. You just always do so much for me, I just really appreciate it." The tension in the air was thick as you kept your palm rested on his knuckles. Your face inched closer to his as you gently pressed a soft kiss against his cheek and smiled sweetly to yourself. "I still owe you one Winchester" You whispered into his ear, pulling away and turning your attention back to the outside world. The engine roared whilst you laid back your head and drifted off to sleep. It wasn't long after that you reached the parking lot of the hotel. You followed Dean up the stairs and stretched your legs up as you wandered through the door of the motel. You ruffled his hair a little with your hand before pressing a kiss on his forehead and stumbling into your room. Immediately you collapsed onto the bed and wrapped yourself in the sheets. Finally, _time to rest._

_-_

“Y/N?” Sam cooed lightly, as his attempt at being subtle was overshadowed by his tremendous height.

Your eyes slowly opened, your fingers rubbing against your lids as you turned your body to face him.

“Sammy?” You whispered quietly, shifting in the double bed of the hotel room as you sat up and switched on the bedside lamp. His glance fell to his hands as he fiddled his thumbs and struggled to maintain eye contact. Finally, he looked back at you, as you raised your eyebrows and waited for him to give you an explanation as to why he was in your room at such a late hour.

“I know I shouldn’t be in here-“

“Sam, it’s okay it’s just...Dean is in the other room and I...” He nodded eagerly, rushing along the interaction as he cursed himself for even fantasying the idea. “We wouldn’t want him to get the _wrong idea_ ” You finished, his hand gestured to the door as you looked over.

“There’s a lock...I thought we could just say I went out for food and then I’ll slip out...” His words were shaken and anxiety-ridden, as you sighed nodding back at him.

“Okay, but only this time okay?” You demanded as he smirked awkwardly and nodded. As you lifted the covers, he slid underneath them and joined you in the bed, resting his head on your chest.

“You still having nightmares?” You whispered into his scalp, as you stroked down his soft hair trying to calm him.

“They...they only stop when I’m here with you” A wide smirk crossed your face as your thumb rubbed the side of his gently grazing his stubble. “You’re sorta like my good luck charm” He chuckled awkwardly as you almost blushed in response, his words melted your heart as you pressed a kiss against his forehead. His smile was smug and proud, his head cuddled further into your chest. You didn't know what compelled him to come into your room like this, his nightmares must really be getting bad again.

"Sammy, can I ask you something?" He nodded silently, your hand gently stroking his scalp as you spoke to him. With a deep sigh, you took a brief second to think through just what you were going to ask. "Do you think Dean..." A vibration of his laugh echoed through your chest, your glance falling to him.

"Yes, more than you know" It was almost impossible to shift the beaming smile from your face as you giggled and cuddled into him more.

"Thanks, Sammy." You whispered before you both closed your eyes, finally getting that rest you'd been thinking about all day. 

_More than I know, huh._


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey" Your tone was casual but it was clear you were slightly out of breath, you hung your coat on the stand and grinned at Dean who just stood with a confused expression on his face. Sammy stepped outside the bathroom with a bedhead and a sleepy yawn, his brother raised his eyebrows as you grabbed his hand and held it open. "Breakfast" You placed the bag in his hand and pushed down his fingers locking it in his grip.

"Morning Sammy, sleep well?" He just nodded, still in a state of tiredness as you handed him a tub of freshly cut fruit from the fridge and flattened out his hair with your fingers. Dean stared him down, whilst Sam awkwardly giggled and stepped away from you.

"Great actually, thanks." It wasn't the answer you really wanted to hear but it was enough for you to stop prying. You know sometimes, you wondered if you were put on this Earth to mother middle-aged men. The scruffy haired hunter just smirked slightly, your hand resting against the small of his back whilst you pushed him down into the seat below him and gestured he opened the bag. 

"A bacon burger? Awesome" The tips of your fingers gently trailed along the top of his head and through the field of brown that covered it. All his attention was now on his breakfast and on the fastest way to shove it into his mouth. Sam chuckled as you shot him a soft smile almost to say _'are you doing okay?'_ and he could read that from a simple glance because he nodded in reply. As you said, it wasn’t the response you were looking for but it will keep your mind at ease for a while.

”So when I went to get breakfast I was speaking to some of the people around town and I think we've got a lead.” Sam’s attention was focusing on the information you were reiterating, though Dean seemed to be more invested in the bacon grease that dripped from his breakfast burger. With a slight sigh from his younger brother, he chewed and swallowed the remains in record time. ”Nice of you to join us” You teased whilst you tilted your head slightly, shooting him a gentle look of reassurance. Your hand slid him a napkin from across the table as he wiped his mouth clean and awkwardly nodded for you to proceed.

“Townspeople said a few bodies had dropped, there was a couple of incidents around the area. Cops were outside a Diner last night, would be worth checking it out.” Sam nodded as Dean noticed his signalling and duplicated it in an act to prove he was paying attention. A smile crossed your lips as you heard the sound of flapping wings and turned your neck to the angelic body next to you.

“Good morning.” He greeted dryly, his eyes glancing around the room at both the boys and then back at you. Castiel was actually quite dreamy. Especially up close. Of course, it is something you have to expect, he is an angel after all. It had been a considerate amount of seconds before Cas had caught onto your staring.

”Is there something wrong?” A chuckle passed your lips whilst you shook your head and rubbed your hand against his knuckles. His glare followed from your hand to your face, as you tapped it lightly and grinned before leaving your seat and wandering into your motel room. 

Your hand reached down and pulled out the duffle bag that you had earlier slid underneath the bed during the night. It was cluttered with all the usual: knives, guns, rocksalt, holy water. It was around sometime late night, early morning when Sam had stopped stirring that your mind began its usual antics. All you could think about was the fact there was something out there right now, _killing people_ , and you couldn't even figure out who or _what_ was behind it all. "What the hell are you doing?" You heard Dean call from the kitchen before you were greeted by a surprise visitor.

"When the hell did you do all this? And is that my knife?" Sam questioned still in a slight state of tiredness from his restless sleep the night before, you stared down at the duffle bag with your hands on your hands as you took a second to ponder your next move.

"When you were sleeping, and yes" You trailed your zip along the lining of the bag and tossed it over your shoulder before wandering back to Castiel and the other Winchester brother. "How's about you three gentlemen make your way to the Diner crime scene and I'll check out the woods nearby it and see if I can find anything lurking in the shadows?" Dean shared a look with Sam before standing up and furrowing his eyebrows, you already knew what words were going to come out of his mouth before he spoke them.

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone."

His eyes diverted back to the other men before meeting the ground. Then he gave you that look, that classic Dean Winchester look. Bringing his chin up to stare back at you with those deep green eyes, you know sometimes that look was just so patro-

"Okay that's fine, here are mine and Sam's cells, if you run into any trouble we're just a call away. But I'm sure you'll be able to handle yourself fine, we'll let you know what we find" It took a second for you to process the exchange until you noticed him holding out his hand for your phone. He keyed in both their numbers before placing it back into your hand and offering you a small smirk.

Everyone looked around at each other in confusion whilst Dean kept his cool and gripped his hand onto the collar of his leather jacket, pulling the sleeves over his shoulders. Sam shrugged and raised his brows slightly as Dean picked up the car keys and shot us a smile. ”I’m gonna warm her up for us, I'll meet you guys outside when you've got your gear.” For once it seemed we were all the same level of confused, not that it would ever compare to the state of constant confusion Castiel was in. 

As the door closed behind him, your mouth widened in shock whilst you struggled to conjure up a sentence. It was clear Sam was on the same wavelength as he didn't have much to contribute either. ”What the hell just happened?” 

-

”Did you both visit Jerry before you came back to the hotel?” Castiel called from one of the passenger's seats behind you. There was a sudden flicker of a glance where Dean’s eyes looked at Cas through the rearview mirror. You weren’t sure what was running through his head but from what you could gather this felt like an uncomfortable topic.

”Uh yeah, Cas we did. Whatcha’ think of him?” It seemed easier for Dean to avoid the question altogether and just keep his focus on the road. You however, decided it was best to offer a sort of distraction that would divert Castiel from digging any deeper into the details of last night. 

There was a pause, you turned your neck to look at him as you noticed the concentration on his face. A small smirk crossed your face, as he nodded. ”He was very...protective of you.” You laughed as Dean shook his head to himself, releasing a small puff of air from his nose. Protective, was _quite_  the understatement.

”I forgot to ask, who is Robert? Jerry mentioned him, actually he had a lot of bad things to say about him-” Your eyes widened at the mention of his name, a gentle tingle travelled down your spine as you shivered. Dean could sense a shift, his eyes looking back from the road to you and back again. It had been so long since you had heard his name you found it difficult to process. You were silent, this seemed to catch Dean’s attention as you noticed his eyebrows knit together.

”Robert is her boyfriend, Cas” Sam shot you a look through the mirror, but although subtle it didn’t seem to get past Dean. His eyes focused on your response, whilst this all just felt like a lot right now. It was clear that Sam was trying aimlessly to create a new topic of conversation so you wouldn’t have to bear the sound of his name again. Right on cue, you suddenly became familiar with your surroundings and pointed ahead.

”We’re here.” Dean followed your gesture and nodded to himself, pulling into the empty parking space near the diner. “I’m gonna head out to the woods, I’ll call you guys if I find anything” Before anyone could say another word, your hand reached for the door handle. You had barley stepped both feet out the car when you felt a strong hand grasp tightly on your arm, his dark emerald eyes were enough to stop you in your tracks.

”You didn’t even have breakfast this morning because you were too busy prepping for the hunt, listen I’m not gonna let you go off into those woods ‘till you’ve had some diner food down your neck, alright?” How the hell does he do that? God I don’t think it’s possible for you to disobey an order from that man, you just nodded with a weak smile and shared a knowing glance with his younger brother. It had been a while since you’d been in this kinda setting, for you all your energy is focused on the creatures out there and how much time has passed since their last kill. 

The Winchesters seemed to work differently, it was nice to see that Sam had moved from the same heart attack burgers that Dean would scarf down and that he was more focused on his health. With the unbalanced diet and the drinking it was a shock to you that he hadn’t kicked the bucket yet. When you entered through the glass doors you noticed it was mainly empty, you’d think it would be some kind of health hazard to keep open the place where a murder had taken place, but hey, girls gotta eat. There were cherry leather seats padded with stuffing and complimented with cream coloured accents, the light hung low over the centre of the tables and there was a old jukebox near the salt shakers.

”If you two lovebirds could pick a booth different from ours that’d be great” Cas and Sam looked over at each other and then back at Dean, you were a little unsure what to say but you had no complaints about that idea. “I just gotta talk to Y/N alone, private stuff” Castiel’s lips parted as he went to speak but Sam patted a hand on his shoulder, he just nodded and glared at the angel whilst they scattered to a booth across the room.

”Private stuff, huh?” You repeated teasing him whilst you slid yourself on the seat nearest to you, him doing the same on the opposite side. He smirked briefly, his hands seemed unsteady and he didn’t really say much. “Is everything okay, D?”

A sigh passed through his parted lips, his eyes travelling from the table in front of him up to your eye line. You pondered what type of thoughts were floating around inside his skull, when you were interrupted by a waitress. 

“Are you guys ready to order?” Dean glanced back at you, opening up the menu and starting his sentence with a long hum. Whilst he pondered his meal choice you scanned the various options and found something in the middle of healthy and unhealthy. Your finger hit against the laminated paper, _The Kansas Special._

“We’ll have two of _The_   _Kansas_ _Special’s_ and two chocolate milkshakes, thanks doll” Her lashes brushed against his glasses in shock, she reached for the menus and awkwardly took them before retreating back to the kitchen. His face resembled that of disappointment but you both were widely aware that it was impossible for him to stay mad at you.

”Just like old times huh” He muttered under his breath, shaking his head to himself with a soft smile that barely peeked through the cracks. It was just like old times, except everything was different. You were grown up, you were hunting alone and you had escaped the clutches of your abusive, cheating ex. Oh and the Winchester’s were carting about Kansas with an _angel._

“I’m...I don’t see Robert anymore. If that’s what you were gonna ask me” Immediately you felt a weight fall from your chest, but then weigh down again as you noticed Dean’s reaction. You weren’t entirely certain what to expect but you were met with a look of confusion, you never told him about the break up. But that’s because that’s exactly what it did to you. 

Then there was a short pause, silence nipping at you as the air conditioning grazed through the hair on your arms. Behind those deep green eyes you could see him carefully plucking the right words to say. 

_“Did he hurt you?”_

Now Dean was damn near the strongest person you’d known, he was a _Winchester_ for Hell’s sake. But the crack you heard in his voice when he asked you that, broke you up worse than you could ever imagine. And when those tears ran down your rosey red cheeks, from then on they were out of your control. Mustering up all the strength you had left, you responded with the weakest smile you’d ever given somebody. 

_“Yes.”_

Before you could even blink away another tear, he was sat next on you on that cherry leather that coated the booth you resided in. One arm hooked around your back and another holding your head against his chest. His grip was tight but it was still the most gentle hug you’ve ever had, such a large part of you didn’t want him to let you go. 

“I’m gonna kill that bastard if I ever see his face again. He’s gonna regret ever hurting you, for thinking he would get away with it. Well not when I’m on this Earth he isn’t.” Even with filled with such anger it was always so passionate, ever since you meet Dean had always protected you. There are just some things you can’t be protected from.


End file.
